Sinclair TV Stations Rack Up Journalism Awards

YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images26 Apr 2018

Sinclair Broadcast Group-owned television stations have snapped up an impressive haul of awards from national journalism organizations this week.

On Monday, Sinclair touted their FOX45 Baltimore affiliate winning the the Society of Professional Journalists’ Investigative Reporting Award and a National Headliner Award. ABC7 in Washington, DC also won a National Headliner Award and the American Association for Cancer Research’s June L. Biedler Prize, while Portland Oregon’s CBS13 received the Gracie Award for News Program from the Alliance of Women in Media.

“Local news is at the heart of Sinclair. Our mission is to serve our communities by sharing relevant information that empowers our audiences,” Scott Livingston, Sinclair’s senior vice president of news, said in the release. “It’s an honor to receive these awards and very rewarding to see our hardworking journalists recognized by their peers.”

Two days later, the organization celebrated 45 prestigious Regional RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards across 20 of its stations. Livingston, said of this second batch of honors:

We are proud to accept these awards and thrilled to see the majority of the awards are for breaking and investigative news on all platforms. Providing excellent news coverage is our mission in all our local markets. These awards are a testament to the commitment of the full Sinclair team and our stations’ newsrooms. Our focus is on exceptional storytelling and continuing to build a more relevant and significant news presence in each of our markets.

Sinclair is America’s largest television station owner. Once a new acquisition from the Tribune group is finalized, it will operate 233 stations in 108 markets. Senate Democrats and liberal commentators have attacked Sinclair over supposed conservative bias and “fake news” for airing editorial segments across their affiliates.